And nearly two-thirds (59%) of those polled still didn’t realise they might be having a heart attack at the point they finally sought medical help for their symptoms.

The BHF says many people are underestimating the life-threatening consequences of a heart attack despite coronary heart disease – the main cause of heart attacks – remaining the UK’s single biggest killer.

The charity is urging people to be more aware of the signs of a heart attack and says far more research is needed to improve ways of preventing, diagnosing and treating heart attacks.

'Extremely alarming'

Simon Gillespie, chief executive at the British Heart Foundation, said: “It’s extremely alarming that the majority of people who suffer heart attacks mistake their symptoms for something less serious and delay getting medical help.

“Every second counts when someone has a heart attack. The sooner people recognise their symptoms and call 999, the better their chance of recovery.

“Research advances mean seven out of 10 people now survive a heart attack. But most heart attacks occur without warning and we have no way of predicting when they will strike."

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He added: “We need to accelerate research into improving our understanding of the furring of the arteries that causes heart attacks and develop better ways of preventing them.

“Also, minor heart attacks which are often a prelude to a much more serious one, can be difficult to diagnose.

“We therefore need more effective ways of diagnosing them so people at risk get the life saving treatment they need.”

New ways of diagnosing heart attacks

The BHF currently funds £29m of research into finding new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat heart attacks.

The charity has recently funded a project at Kings College London (KCL) investigating a more effective way of diagnosing heart attacks.

Under current guidelines, doctors in the emergency department who suspect someone has had a heart attack carry out a blood test for a protein called troponin which leaks from the heart when it’s damaged.

But it takes time for troponin levels to rise to detectible levels in the blood, which means diagnosis can be considerably delayed.

Professor Mike Marber and the team at Kings are studying another protein that leaks from the heart after damage called cardiac myosin binding protein C (MyC).

The team is now investigating if measuring MyC is a quicker and more effective way of diagnosing a heart attack.

Professor Marber said: “It is essential to know whether someone with chest pain has suffered damage to their heart. We’re investigating whether levels of MyC in the blood provide a quicker and more reliable indication of a heart attack than troponin.

“MyC may also be less likely to be detected because of chronic disease, preventing a false diagnosis of a heart attack. The research could lead to a better blood test for heart attack so people can receive the right treatment, more quickly, improving their chances of recovery.”